Hawthorne Press Tribune The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - January 12, 2017 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................2 Classifieds............................3 Community Briefs...............3 Finance..................................7 Food.......................................5 Hawthorne Happenings....3 Legals................................ 6-7 Pets........................................8 Seniors..................................2 Sports....................................4 Weekend Forecast Friday Mostly Sunny 61˚/49˚ Saturday Sunny 69˚/49˚ Sunday Partly Cloudy 68˚/50˚ Wintertime in the South Bay A view from nearby Torrance shows the snow-peaked Angeles National Forest/San Gabriel Mountains in the background. Winter is here! Photo by Peter Thornton City Council Names Hadir Awad as Mayor Pro Tem; Extends Marijuana Moratorium By Derrick Deane concentrated marijuana. “If they live in the In its first meeting of the year, the Hawthorne city, they can go and buy it somewhere else,” City Council tackled the use of recreational Vargas said. marijuana within the community, confirmed Before extending the moratorium on delegates for various state and local committees, recreational marijuana, the Council selected and named a new Mayor Pro Tem. a new Mayor Pro Tem and also designated In a brief discussion, the Council voted representatives for various committees for unanimously to extend a moratorium on the upcoming year. Councilman Hadir Awad recreational use of marijuana within Hawthorne was unanimously approved as the new Mayor for an additional 10 months and fifteen days. At Pro Tem. the last meeting of 2016, the Council adopted “I appreciate the honor of being named Mayor an interim urgency ordinance that initiated a Pro Tem,” Awad said after his appointment was moratorium on the establishment of nonmedical confirmed. “It’s an exciting moment. I’m glad marijuana uses within the city for 45 days. that you have enough faith in me to represent The interim ordinance was enacted to “ensure the City whenever you’re [the Mayor] not protection of the public health, safety and welfare available and hopefully continue the good work related to the passage of State Proposition 64,” we’ve been doing as a city.” which became effective November 9, 2016. Mayor Vargas also took a moment to thank Documents filed to the City Clerk office on Reyes English for serving in the role for the past December 22, 2016 state that “there continues year. “I’d like to thank Angie Reyes English for to be a current and immediate threat to the her service to the city. She’s backed me up and public health, safety, or welfare pending the attended meetings that I might not have been completion of studies and the adoption of an able to attend,” Vargas said. “She’s done a fine, ordinance that establishes appropriate zoning dignified job of representing me and the City.” regulations.” Reyes English expressed hope after serving Medical marijuana is currently prohibited as Mayor Pro Tem and vowed to continue within the city of Hawthorne. The approved to work harder to turn the city around. “I’m moratorium only addresses nonmedical excited because Hawthorne is beginning to take recreational marijuana. center stage,” she said of her time as Mayor “In the 10 months that the moratorium is Pro Tem. “I’ve seen it in the many places I occurring, we’re gathering more information and visited, galas and dinners that I attend and doing our due diligence with other communities it is taking note. Hawthorne is starting to be and municipalities because this is all new to recognized and that’s excitement for us--and us,” Councilwoman Angie Reyes English said. more importantly for you, a community that “It was passed overwhelmingly by the voters is long overdue.” of California. However being a general law Meanwhile, the Council also confirmed city that we are, we have the discretion as a delegates to represent Hawthorne at various council to either implement that in our own committees and associations for 2017. policy or not.” Councilwoman Olivia Valentine will remain the Mayor Alex Vargas clarified that if there is main delegate for the Youth Services Committee, another city allowing the use of recreational Independent Cities Risk Management Authority, marijuana, then residents could purchase from and the South Bay Council of Governments those cities as long as they comply within the (South Bay COG), with Awad serving as the limits of possession as stated in Proposition alternate for her. Valentine will also remain 64. The proposition set possession limits of the main delegate for the West Basin Water 28.5 grams of marijuana or eight grams of Association Board of Directors with Reyes English serving as her alternate. Mayor Vargas will remain the main delegate for the City Selection Committee and County Sanitation District No. 5 by rule with Awad serving as the alternate by rule. Vargas will also remain as the main delegate for the Independent Cities Association Committee, while Reyes English will serve as the alternate. Reyes English will remain as the main delegate for the League of California Cities, Los Angeles County Division with Michelin serving as the alternate. Valentine expressed that she would like to see someone from the Hawthorne Police Department as a representative on the Public Safety Committee “because I think that is a very important committee and I don’t think we’re represented there.” Awad will remain as main delegate for the South Bay Regional Public Communications Authority Board of Directors with Reyes English remaining as alternate. Vargas set forth a handful of goals he hopes to accomplish in the new year. “Everything is in motion,” he said of his three-point economic recovery plan. “The savings on our loan and debt obligations and being able to save money that way and closing the gap on our budget deficit, being able to get the ball rolling on the two hotels across [from City Hall] that will further close the gap, and getting the ball rolling with the Hawthorne Mall site.” While those are all long-term goals, Vargas said that the more immediate items he looks forward to tackling with his Council colleagues include parking and “if there are any creative ways to chip away at that situation.” Increasing sales tax income will also be another key focus. “We all agree that we need to move toward increasing our sales tax base,” Vargas said. “Everybody is counting on the Hawthorne Mall site being the place where we’re all going to go dine and watch movies, but there are other locations in the city that we can build restaurants, build shopping centers, or go-to places and attractions. Make ourselves a destination city…” •
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